Bands from Portugal usually stay in Portugal, but we're glad that X-Wife isn't paying attention to that rule. Their punkish synth-rock evokes lots of bands we're familiar with - Clinic, PIL, The Rapture, even the Cars - to come up with a sound that manages to be decidedly unique yet instantly familiar. At their core, these are well-crafted pop songs with hooks that won't let go. The live drum machine beats, vintage synth freakouts, and occasional vocoders are what turn Feeding the Machine into a record that's frankly too good to stay obscure. This one won't disappoint you.